June 2015 – SOFIA Southern Deployment

Observing Star Formation from the Southern Hemisphere

By L. Andrew Helton

Many thanks to the telescope operators for helping us through these complicated observations. The instrument for tonight’s and tomorrow night’s flights is the Cornell University developed Faint Object infrared CAmera for the SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST), a dual-channel mid-infrared camera and spectrograph sensitive from 5 to 40 microns.. SOFIA flies above 99% of the water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere that blocks infrared radiation from reaching the ground. The super dry atmosphere over the southern ocean was exceptionally good for the duration of the flight, which enabled the team to get better results.

The FORCAST Instrument installed on SOFIA's telescope. Photo: Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Greg Perryman. — The FORCAST Instrument installed on SOFIA’s telescope. Photo: Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Greg Perryman.

During the first science leg we observed V1309 Scorpii. At first this object was thought to be a “classical nova,” where a white dwarf star accretes material onto its surface from a companion star until the material ignites, causing a surface explosion. But it was later determined to be an explosion resulting from the merger of a binary star system, where the two stars spiral in toward one another until they finally collide. This is a very faint source that proved to be exceptionally challenging to get set up to observe. Once the observations were under way, however, the data looked to be acceptable. Luckily most of the effort was front-loaded, since soon after we began observing in earnest, the flight crew notified us that we could see the aurora outside. And it was just stunning, brighter and more active than anyone on the main deck had ever seen.

Aurora Australis as seen from SOFIA. Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Charlie Kaminski

The following science leg included observations of Eta Carinae, a system of two stars that are five million times brighter than our Sun. Eta Carinae can only be seen from the Southern Hemisphere, and this observation was the focus of our guest investigator, Pat Morris, from the California Institute of Technology, who was on board to assist with data collection. These observations proved to be challenging. The goal was to observe the faint emission surrounding Eta Carinae that originated in an earlier period of mass loss. To see this emission, we had to very carefully position the observation field next to Eta Carinae itself, the brightest IR stellar source in the sky. Unfortunately, besides the difficult setup, there were some technical issues on this leg that resulted in some lost observing time. Nevertheless, the data obtained looked very good. We are well positioned to optimize our observations of Eta Carinae on upcoming flights.

SOFIA's flight path — SOFIA’s flight path on June 23, 2015.

The last object we observed this evening was Westerlund 1 – one of the most massive star clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy. These observations were straightforward and rewarded us with some beautiful images of the most densely populated field observed by the FORCAST team to date.

SOFIA Marks Connection with Early Navigators in Traditional Māori Ceremony

The Polynesians, including the Māori, have a long history of navigating the seas using the stars and other heavenly bodies to guide their voyaging canoes over long distances. SOFIA’s journey to fly in the clear air of the southern skies is in some ways akin to the long, sea journeys of the Māori people. To mark this connection, a tribal elder came to the Christchurch International Airport in New Zealand on June 15, 2015, to conduct a traditional ceremony emphasizing a safe and successful mission for SOFIA, her telescope, and all who use them.

Such ceremonies for a telescope and the land that an observatory sits on are a long-standing Polynesian tradition. SOFIA’s staff were happy to continue those traditions and participate in the traditional ceremony of, and pay respects to, the astronomical history of the Māori people.

Māori elder Aroha H. Reriti-Crofts performs the traditional ceremony surrounded my SOFIA crew. Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Greg Perryman. — Māori elder Aroha H. Reriti-Crofts performs the traditional ceremony surrounded by SOFIA crew. Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Greg Perryman.

Two days after SOFIA’s arrival in Christchurch, Māori elder Aroha H. Reriti-Crofts came to perform the traditional ceremony. Reriti-Crofts is from the Ngāi Tahu, the local Māori tribe in the Canterbury area. There are nearly 50,000 Ngāi Tahu tribal members; their ancestors came from somewhere in the central Pacific to New Zealand’s South Island more than 800 years ago in voyaging canoes, navigating by the stars.

Elder Reriti-Crofts is a very distinguished leader, having been a past national president of Te Ropu Wahine Māori Toko i te Ora (Māori Women’s Welfare League), a group that is dedicated to improving the spiritual, economic, educational, and social well-being of the Māori people.

A typical traditional ceremony is conducted at the telescope. However, SOFIA is unique in that the telescope and the airplane are considered one, and the telescope cannot be accessed from the ground without opening the large door on the aircraft’s left side. The door is usually kept closed to prevent the infrared telescope and its instruments from potential damage by the sun.

To work around the access issue, the crew gathered under SOFIA’s tail, near the telescope cavity, where elder Reriti-Crofts began the Ngai Tahu Māori ceremony.

The crew under SOFIA's tail, as elder Reriti-Crofts began the ceremony. Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Greg Perryman. — The crew under SOFIA’s tail, as elder Reriti-Crofts began the ceremony. Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Greg Perryman.

“We gathered around Reriti-Crofts and she got out her Māori chant book and proceeded to chant. The chant lasted about 10 minutes, all in the Māori language,” said SOFIA telescope operator Jeff Cox. “At the conclusion of the ceremony Reriti-Crofts translated her chant, which emphasized that SOFIA and her crew take off and return safely on all missions. She also included our families in her blessing.”

The SOFIA deployment staff contributed personal funds as a gift for performing the ceremony, which will be used to help local Māori churches, schools, and children in need.

Māori elder Aroha H. Reriti-Crofts and SOFIA crew in front of the observatory. Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Greg Perryman.

The sky and the stars are considered both sacred and useful by Polynesians. SOFIA’s flights of discovery study objects in the same celestial constellations the Māori’s ancestors used to find their way to New Zealand.

— Nicholas A. Veronico

Welcome to the SOFIA Southern Deployment Blog – 2015 Edition

These pages will bring news and information about our science observations during our mission’s six-week deployment to observe the southern skies.

SOFIA arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand, on June 14 (New Zealand date) to begin the observatory’s second Southern Hemisphere deployment. The team’s first visit to Christchurch was in 2013, and that deployment was an outstanding success. The quality of the science data obtained from our previous flights out of Christchurch was excellent, and we’re expecting similar results again this year.

As you read this, our staff is conducting mission operations from the National Science Foundation’s U.S. Antarctic Program (USAP) facility on Christchurch International Airport. Our mission is grateful to the National Science Foundation for making this facility available to us. The USAP facility is not in use during New Zealand’s winter, which is the reverse season to the Northern Hemisphere, so this is an ideal opportunity to make use of an otherwise idle base.

SOFIA landing at Christchurch International Airport on Sunday, June 14. Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/N. Veronico

In 2013, SOFIA flew with one instrument, the German REceiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies, GREAT. This year our scientific productivity will be greatly increased, as we will make observations with four instruments (Faint Object InfraRed CAmera for the SOFIA Telescope – FORCAST, First Light Infrared Test Experiment CAMera – FLITECAM, GREAT, and High-speed Imaging Photometer for Occultations – HIPO).

With a four-fold increase in science instrument capability, we will perform science observations on parts of the universe that are not accessible from the Northern Hemisphere. Additionally, we will incorporate a special observation which we call a “target of opportunity,” to observe a Pluto occultation as it passes in front of a star. The Pluto observation has the potential to provide cross-mission science data to the New Horizons mission, further demonstrating SOFIA’s scientific productivity. SOFIA’s observation of Pluto will occur on June 29th, just a couple of weeks before the New Horizons’ spacecraft fly-by of Pluto on July 14^th.

I am really excited about the science plan for this year’s Southern Hemisphere campaign, and I have no doubt that there will be obstacles and challenges during deployment operations. The science we obtain will be worth all of the long hours and the days away from home.

Ground crew working into the night on SOFIA. Photo: NASA/USRA/SOFIA/Greg Perryman.

I look forward to everyone’s safe return home and to another SOFIA team success!

— Eddie Zavala – Program Manager